All you have to do is break down your time in a smaller way. For example, if your exam is in a week, think of it like you have seven days to study. This will cause more of a sense of urgency, helping you complete your tasks faster or right on time. “So when I think in a more granular way — when I use days rather than years — it makes me feel like the future is closer,” said lead researcher Daphna Oyserman. “If you see it as ‘today’ rather than on your calendar for sometime in the future, you’re not going to put it off.”

And, apparently, it really does work. Researchers found that people who thought of the future in days rather than years were much more likely to accomplish their goals sooner. “The simplified message that we learned in these studies is if the future doesn’t feel imminent, then, even if it’s important, people won’t start working on their goals,” Oyserman said.

It’s a pretty clever discovery if you ask us. Think about it: The weekend is two days long, right? Right. But it’s also only a mere 48 hours — which sounds shorter to you? Hm…